Under-shelf Lighting System

ABSTRACT

A lighting assembly  9  for a standard in-store display shelf  2 . The standard shelf is mounted on a standard in-store shelf bracket  4 , having in-store header mounting hardware  6 , which standard in-store display shelf  2  includes a conventional metal spring clip  10  for mounting a standard light fixture. The lighting assembly has a mount  11  for spring mounting to clip  10 . The mount has rails  16 - 19 , which form a pair of board channels  19 A-B. A circuit board  20  slide mounts into the board channels. The circuit board serves as a mount for an array of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

This utility patent application takes priority from Provisional Patent Application 61/116,274, filed Nov. 19, 2008.

The Present invention relates to an under-shelf lighting system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation a lighting system of the present invention mounted on standard display shelf hardware.

FIG. 2 is a detail of the area circled in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an oblique view of an array of LED's shown in FIGS. 1 & 2.

FIG. 4 is a detail of the area circled in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the array of FIG. 3, lying flat, with redundant center section omitted.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a an elevation of the right end of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a standard in-store display shelf 2, mounted on a standard in-store shelf bracket 4. Standard in-store header mounting hardware 6, comprises a product header label clip 8, and a conventional metal spring clip 10, shown in detail in FIG. 2, for mounting a standard florescent lighting fixture, not shown.

Instead, our lighting assembly, generally designated 9, of the present invention is clipped there, to clip 10.

The lighting assembly comprises a housing 11, which serves as a mount, to mount the assembly 9 to the spring clip 10. Mount 11 is the platform on which to mount the other elements of the lighting assembly. Mount 11 is preferably an aluminum extrusion of the shape shown in FIGS. 1 & 2.

Mount 11 comprises channels 13 & 14.

Rails 16-19 form channels 19A & 19B, into which is slidably mounted circuit board 20.

Clear extruded cover 21 has rails 22-23 which slidably mount it to mount 11's channels 13-14. Clear cover 21 protects the circuit board 20 within.

Cover 21 may in the alternative be frosted to act as a light diffuser.

As in all the figures, board 20 serves as a mount for standard LED lamps 30 having a 70 degree viewing angle (FIG. 1). In this embodiment, there are forty LEDs 30. These provide an ambient light for the display.

Board 20 serves as a mount for T-1¾ LED lamps 32, having a viewing angle that will be optimized for each of various assorted products and display dimensions. In this embodiment, there are twenty-one LED's 32. As in FIGS. 4-5, each LED lamp 32 is mounted on a pair of bendable wire leads 33-34. These provide a customizable light, in that the bendable leads 33-34 can be bent to angle each of the LEDs 32 to specifically aim LED 32 to best advantage the particular elements of a specific display.

Thus, a LED 32 can angle forward to back-light a translucent light box. Or LED 32 can angle rearward to front-light a background. Or LED 32 can angle directly towards the surface of a product or its package. Or LED 32 can angle the same as LEDs 30 to reinforce their illumination. As in FIG. 7, board 20 serves as a mount for power supply connector 38, which transmits 12 Volt DC to the LED's in parallel through circuit board 20.

FIG. 1 shows how these LED's 30, 32 project below the display shelf 2, into display space there-below, above the shelf below, not shown.

FIG. 2 shows further details of Aluminum Mount 11. Ridge 39 forms a detent to engage bend 40 of spring clip 10. Detent 42 engages bend 44 of spring clip 10. Thus by inserting mount 11 against ramps 46-47 of spring clip 10, the mount 11 forces open spring clip 10 so that mount can be forced in until bend 40 snaps around ridge 39, and bend 44 drops into detent 42, both to secure mount 11 within the grasp of spring clip 10. 

1. A lighting assembly 9 for a standard in-store display shelf 2, mounted on a standard in-store shelf bracket 4, having in-store header mounting hardware 6, which standard in-store display shelf 2 includes a conventional metal spring clip 10 for mounting a standard light fixture, the lighting assembly comprises: a mount 11 for spring mounting to clip 10; a plurality of rails 16-19, which form a pair of board channels 19A-B into which is slidably mounted a circuit board 20; said circuit board serves as a mount for a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
 2. A lighting assembly according to claim 1, the mount further comprising: a ridge 39, formed at one side of the mount, which ridge forms a first detent for engaging a bend 40 of the spring clip 10; a second detent 42, formed at an opposite side of the mount, said second detent for engaging a second bend 44 of the spring clip
 10. 3. A lighting assembly according to claim 1, in which some of the plurality LED's are fixed LED's 30, having a fixed angle mounting.
 4. A lighting assembly according to claim 1, in which the some of the plurality LED's are adjustable LED lamps 32; each said adjustable LED lamp is mounted to the board on a pair of bendable conductors; each said pair of bendable conductors is a means for bending its respective LED to an angle selectively optimized for one of various directions.
 5. A lighting assembly according to claim 3, in which the some of the plurality LED's are adjustable LED lamps 32; each said adjustable LED lamp is mounted to the board on a pair of bendable conductors; each said pair of bendable conductors is a means for bending its respective LED to an angle selectively optimized for one of various directions.
 6. A lighting assembly according to claim 5 in which there are forty fixed LED lamps 30, and each fixed LED lamp has a 70 degree illumination angle (FIG. 1), for providing an ambient light for the display.
 7. A lighting assembly according to claim 5 in which each of the adjustable LED lamps is adjusted to have an illumination angle that is optimized for one of various display situations, from a group of various display situations consisting of: highlight assorted products; illuminate assorted display dimensions; angle forward to back-light a translucent light box; angle rearward to front-light a background; angle directly towards the surface of a product or its package; project light below the display shelf 2, into a display space there-below, above a shelf below; or angle the same as the fixed LEDs 30 to reinforce illumination of the fixed LEDs.
 8. A lighting assembly according to claim 6 in which there are twenty-one of the adjustable LED's
 32. 9. A lighting assembly according to claim 1, having a light-transmitting cover 21; said mount 11 comprises cover channels 14 & 15; the light-transmitting cover 21 has rails 22-23 which slidably mount said light-transmitting cover to the cover channels 13-14, which protects the circuit board within.
 10. A lighting assembly according to claim 8, having a light-transmitting cover 21; said mount 11 comprises cover channels 14 & 15; and the light-transmitting cover 21 has rails 22-23 which slidably mount said light-transmitting cover to the cover channels 13-14, which protects the circuit board within.
 11. A lighting assembly according to claim 10 having the cover 21 clear.
 12. A lighting assembly according to claim 11, claim 2 having the cover 21 frosted to act as a light diffuser.
 13. A lighting assembly according to claim 11, in which the board 20 serves as the mount for the fixed LED lamps 30 having a 70 degree illumination angle.
 14. A lighting assembly according to claim 8 in which the board 20 serves to mount a power supply connector 33, which transmits 12 Volt DC to the LED's through circuit board 20, in parallel.
 15. A lighting assembly according to claim 1, the mount further comprising: a ridge 39, formed at one side of the mount, which ridge forms a first detent for engaging a bend 40 of the spring clip 10; a second detent 42, formed at an opposite side of the mount, said second detent for engaging a second bend 44 of the spring clip 10; forty of the plurality of LED's are fixed LED's 30, having a fixed angle mounting; each fixed LED has a 70 degree illumination angle, for providing an ambient light for the display; twenty-one of the plurality of LED's are adjustable LED lamps 32; each said adjustable LED lamp is mounted to the board on a pair of bendable conductors; each said pair of bendable conductors is a means for bending its respective LED lamp to an angle selectively optimized for one of various directions; each of the adjustable LED lamps is adjusted to have an illumination angle that is optimized for one of various display situations, from a group of various display situations consisting of: highlight assorted products; illuminate assorted display dimensions; angle forward to back-light a translucent light box; angle rearward to front-light a background; angle directly towards the surface of a product or its package; project light below the display shelf 2, into a display space there-below, above a shelf below; or angle the same as the fixed LEDs 30 to reinforce illumination of the fixed LEDs; the lighting assembly has a light-transmitting cover 21; said mount 11 comprises cover channels 14 & 15; and the light-transmitting cover 21 has rails 22-23 which slidably mount said light-transmitting cover to the cover channels 13-14, which protects the circuit board within.
 16. A lighting assembly according to claim 10 having the cover 21 clear.
 11. A lighting assembly according to claim 16 in which board 20 serves as a mount for a power supply connector 33, which transmits 12 Volt DC to the LED's in parallel through the circuit board
 20. 12. A method of mounting an LED lighting assembly to a display shelf having a spring clip for securing a fluorescent lamp to the display shelf, by the steps of: inserting a mount 11 against a pair of ramps 46-47 of spring clip 10; using said mount to force open the spring clip 10; forcing the mount can be forced in until: a first bend 40 snaps around a ridge 39; and a second bend 44 drops into a detent 42; a pinching action of the two bends holds the mount in the spring clip; thereby securing the LED lighting assembly to the shelf within the grasp of the spring clip
 10. 